Déclenchement de conduites agressives par stimulation electrique du tegmentum ventral du mésencephale chez le rat

Two kinds of aggressive behavior were elicited by electrical stimulation of the ventral mesencephalic tegmentum (TVM) in the rat presented with a mouse: (1) well-oriented attack behavior without marked emotional display was elicited at sites which also sustained self-stimulation; (2) poorly oriented aggression intermingled with flight attemps and marked emotional display was elictied at sites where the stimulation also induced switch-off responses. At still other sites, stimulation elicited biting responses which were clearly different from the elicited interspecies aggression. These data are in agreement with the hypothesis derived from the behavioural effects observed following TVM lesion, i.e. that the TVM is involved in mechanisms which facilitate the release of interspecies aggression.